The present invention relates to the mounting of a video display panel on a portable computer and, in particular, to a panel that can be mounted so the video display is visible when the panel is folded against the body of the computer.
Portable computers and notebook computers have a generally rectangular computer body and a panel with a viewing screen hinged along one side of the computer body such that the viewing screen is moveable from a first position in which the screen is folded against the keyboard of the computer to a second position where the viewing screen is opened and visible to an operator using the keyboard. When the viewing screen is folded against the keyboard, the computer has the appearance of a small suitcase or notebook and is easily transportable.
It is sometimes desirable to mount such portable computers in an automobile such that the information in the computer would be available to the operator of the vehicle. Preferably, the automobile has an adapter or dock which will mount the computer to the dashboard while the user is in his vehicle and permit the easy removal thereof by the user when the vehicle has reached its destination. The mounting must be adequate to secure the computer while the vehicle is traveling over rugged terrain. The mounting must also render the viewing screen visible to the occupants of the front seat, yet it must consume a minimum of the limited space available within an automobile.
Existing portable computers having a viewing screen hinged to the computer body are difficult to mount to the dashboard of a vehicle with the keyboard and viewing screen both useable by the occupants of the front seat of because of the limited movement of the parts permitted by the hinge. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide an improved housing for a portable computer which would enable the computer to be more readily mounted into an automobile.
Some 20 or more wires are needed to connect the screen of a portable computer to the computer body, and in prior art portable computers the wires limit the movement of a hinge connecting the screen to a computer body. If the hinge permits too much movement between the parts the repeated twisting of the connecting wires can cause the insulation between the wires to wear away, thereby causing the computer to fail.
It would be desirable to provide a hinge, or a hinged connector, between a computer and the associated screen which allows more movement between the parts without causing damage to the connecting wires.
Briefly, the present invention is embodied in a portable computer with a computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a keyboard built into the upper surface thereof. The computer further has a panel with a viewing screen on one surface which is pivotally joined to the computer body.
In accordance with the invention, the connection of the viewing screen to the computer body includes a hinge which allows movement of the viewing screen between a travel position where the viewing screen is folded against the keyboard, and an operating position in which the screen is angled relative to the keyboard so as to be visible to one using the keyboard. The connection between the viewing screen and the computer body further includes an adjusting means which enables the viewing screen to be folded with the back thereof against the computer body.
The adjustment means may be configured as a second hinge. In accordance with this embodiment, the second hinge interacts with the first hinge to permit movement of the panel from a first position, in which the video screen is against the keyboard, to a second position in which the panel is wrapped around the computer body and the rear surface thereof is against the lower surface of the computer body.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the adjusting means includes a slideable member on which the hinge is retained, the slideable member is moveable from a first position near one long side of either the computer body or the panel to a second position near the opposite long side of the computer body or panel. The movement of the slideable member permits the reversal of the viewing screen from a first position in which it is folded against the keyboard to a second position in which the back surface of the viewing screen is against the keyboard.
In both embodiments the hinge assembly, whether it is a double hinge or a hinge with a slideable member, has a central opening through which the wires connecting the computer to the screen can pass. To prevent damage to the wire, the wires are formed into a ribbon and the ribbon is coiled before it is inserted into the hinge assembly.